Dental Assisting, Certificate

Purpose

This curriculum is designed to prepare students to perform chairside assisting, minor laboratory, and basic office procedures. Students learn the theory and skills to assist in the dental operatory through course work in the areas of chairside assisting, radiology, dental materials, dental and biomedical sciences, as well as clinical practice. Graduates can perform certain additional tasks allowing them to become productive and valued members of the dental health team. Upon successful completion of this program, students are eligible to sit for the Dental Assisting National Board Examination (DANB). After successful completion of this examination, the credential Certified Dental Assistant (CDA) is awarded.

Special Accreditation Status

The Dental Assisting program maintains their status of accreditation by the Commission on Dental Accreditation. Students who successfully complete the program are considered to be graduates of an accredited program for purposes of certification and regulations as set forth by state licensing boards. The Commission is a specialized accrediting body recognized by the United States Department of Education. The Commission on Dental Accreditation can be contacted at 312-440-4653 or at 211 East Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611-2678 The Commission’s web address is: https://coda.ada.org.

Bloodborne Pathogens and Infectious Diseases Statement

By nature of the profession, students accepted into the Dental Assisting program may be exposed to blood and body fluids while practicing dental skills or providing services during clinical, preclinical, and laboratory sessions. Policies and procedures have been established to ensure the working environment is safe in order to minimize disease transmission. Prospective students may request a copy of the policy on bloodborne infectious diseases by calling 703-822-6627.

Admission Requirements

Students must:

• Comply with all General Admission Requirements for Allied Health Programs.
• Have a high school diploma or GED.
• Take or self-place into MTH 133 Mathematics for Health Professions or Math Unit 3 or higher.
• Pass ENG 111 College Composition I and SDV 100 College Success Skills or SDV 101 Orientation to: with a grade of “B” or higher prior to admission into the program.
• BIO 145 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology or BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I and BIO 142 Human Anatomy and Physiology II with a grade of “B” or higher prior to admission into the program. (Please note: BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I requires the completion of BIO 101 General Biology I, or NAS 2 Foundations of Life Sciences or a placement test as noted at the Nursing and Health Sciences Division. BIO 145 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology or BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I and BIO 142 Human Anatomy and Physiology II must be completed within 10 years at time of application.
• Be willing to repeat courses or to complete evaluative testing for credits earned more than ten years ago.
• View an online information session located on the Dental Assisting web site.
• Have a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA. For Health Science programs, GPA evaluation will prioritize a student’s record at Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA). If no NOVA GPA is available, the GPA from the student’s most recent institution will be considered.

Continuation Requirements

All courses (including General Education courses) program must be completed with a grade of “C” or better before taking the next course in the sequence and to satisfy graduation requirements (note: some prerequisite requirements may require a higher grade).

One Year

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May substitute BIO 145 Basic Human Anatomy & Physiology by taking BIO 141 Human Anatomy And Physiology I and BIO 142 Human Anatomy and Physiology II.